Day Five: Burneside to Sedbergh

Distance: 16 miles
Weather: a bit nippy, quite windy, few spots of rain mid afternoon.
Bunnies: millions of them
Stiles: more than I can count
Fish seen: lots of tiddlers and a couple that were at least this big *waves hands around*

After a huge breakfast, where we were fed enough toast to feed an army, we were off just after nine o'clock.

We left Burneside down the road, passed the rather tumbledown hall, and then turned off to follow the Dales Way again following the River Mint through farmland. It was farmland for most of the day, with plenty of stiles and steps over drystone walls, some of which were more like climbing walls. At Biglands, where there was a massive mansion house and a pond with some swans that looked to be soon in the family way, we hit the 50 mile mark. Long before we saw the M6 motorway, we could hear it. No jams today.

The Dales Way has been diverted slightly near the mainline railway, which was very busy. We had first lunch watching the trains go by - and speculating as to what Postman Pat was doing driving up and down the same bit of road three times. I might have eaten too much fudge at this point.

We then dropped down into the valley and met the River Lune, which we followed for the rest of the way - apart from a brief spell through some more farmland (the owners of the river are most determined that anyone else won't use their riverbank) and a field that is best not spoken of (needless to say, our shoes had a damn good wiping once we'd found the stile out of there. Farmers have some dirty habits.

Near to the second viaduct of the day, we stopped for second lunch and were entertained by (not really) literally millions of bunnies down the path.

We followed the river into Sedbergh, which seems like a nice little town - rather posh - and we are now ensconced in the Bull Hotel enjoying dinner and sampling some local(ish) ales - Ruskin's (Kirby Lonsdale Brewery), Lancaster Blonde and Black Sheep.

Apologies for not replying to individual emails, we only have limited coverage.

Feet are certainly making themselves felt at the moment, but no serious problems... so far...